The Nigeria Police Force has arrested its officers involved in the alleged abduction and extortion of a businessman in Abuja.
News About Nigeria reported that the sum of N29.9 million was extorted from the victim in January.
The confirmation was made by the force spokesperson, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, via his X handle (@Princemoye1) on Tuesday.
Adejobi assured the public that progress had been made in the investigation, and justice would be served.
The case came to light after human rights activist Harrison Gwamnishu exposed the incident via a video shared on his X (Twitter) page.
According to Gwamnishu, the victim, whose identity remains undisclosed, was driving to his construction site when he was stopped by police officers dressed in black and armed with AK-47 rifles.
The officers reportedly took the young man to an undisclosed location, causing him distress and fear for his safety.
The alleged police officers went through the victim’s phone, checked his account balance, and wallet, demanding that he transfer all the money in his account to two provided account numbers – one at Access Bank and the other at Moniepoint.
Fearing for his life, the victim contacted friends who sent varying amounts, resulting in a total transfer of N29,900,100.
Gwamnishu questioned whether it should be classified as police robbery, extortion, or a criminal act similar to kidnapping, adding that no complaint was filed against the victim and no statement was taken.
The victim was reportedly coerced into making a video under duress.
The human rights activist urged the Inspector General of Police to address the root causes of such misconduct within the police force.
Gwamnishu clarified that his intention was not to tarnish the image of the entire Nigerian police force but to shed light on the actions of a few rogue officers, undermining the efforts of the majority of dedicated and diligent police personnel.
